The Death and Times of Mary Nakamura
by dragonmaiden50
Summary: Fate has a funny way of pushing it’s puppets to their destinies. Mary found that out the hard way. A Romance Comedy/Action fanfic starring my character Mary Nakamura. Some yaoi, swearing, sex, witty remarks, and violence :D
1. Crappy Beginings

Chapter 1

Author's note: When I was twelve years old I wrote a story called "The Life and Times of Mary." It was a short story based around a young girl and her problems at school, and was the first full-length thing I had ever written. Anyways, I stumbled across it and re-read it. Granted the writing sucked and the story was bad, but I liked Mary. She was an embodiment of my younger self. So because I felt it would be a waste not to use her character again, I put her into this bleach fanfic.

* * *

It had hurt. She remembered that. If she was to die all over again she wouldn't have drowned, because it was probably the most painfully thing she'd ever done. Her whole body had panicked. She thrashed when her lungs burned with old air, and when the water had finally filled them, it was hell.

Rays of light, made Mary's sleeping eyes open unwillingly. It was morning and her second month of living in the 65th division of Rukongai. She'd learned two things in her short time here. One: do not attempt to cross the big wall into _Seirieti. Two: do not trust anyone._

Yesterday, she had broken rule two. She had followed a young man when he'd said he could help her find a place to stay. Leading her down a side street, him and his friends had jumped her.

_"What's wrong with your eyes, freak," one her tormentors yelled._

_"Back off!" she had yelled as the four of them backed her into a wall. Her spike in rietsu made the boys take a step back, but unfortunately not run._

_"Make us," chided the boy, grinning menacingly. He made to punch her, but she ducked and rammed her body into his stomach. They both hurtled to the ground. She pulled her arm back and punched him in the face, hearing his nose crunch underneath her fist. Two of his friends pulled Mary off of him._

_"Little slut!" he yelled angrily and punching her gut. She felt the wind go out of her as he kept hitting her. The boys dropped her on the ground and took turns kicking her. One of the falls landed on her face, making her go cross-eyed. Eventually they had stopped and searched her. They found the money a woman had given her for sweeping out her teashop, and the small bag of candy she had bought earlier. She had passed out after that. Now she woke up bruised and beaten with no money or food._

The injuries didn't bother her as much as the indignation of how she got them. She was different, and everyone could see it. Her hair was blonde and cut an inch short. Her skin was pale and obviously Caucasian. The biggest difference though was her eyes. They were round, surrounded by huge eyelashes, and one was brown while the other was blue-green. Even when she'd lived with her mom in the United States her eyes had gotten her funny looks. On top of all that Mary had learned that she could feel rietsu, and that hers was very high. Normal souls couldn't sense rietsu, but that didn't mean they weren't affected by it. She had to be careful not to let out too much or no one would come near her.

"You okay?" asked a kind voice. She opened her eyes a little wider to see two very prodigious breasts. She smiled warmly when she saw Mary look up at her. The orange-haired woman helped the girl into a sitting position, and Mary gasped slightly at the pain. Now that she was sitting she noticed the woman's clothes and the badge that was on her arm. Her rietsu was high too.

"Thanks," Mary mumbled, wincing from the pain breathing made. "You're a shinigami lieutenant aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm surprised you know. My name's Masumoto," she answered. "What happened to you?"

"I got mugged. Four guys jumped me. I got a few good punches in though. I think I broke one's nose." Mary smiled, and winced as her cheek stung. She reached up and felt a long gash along her cheek bone. Masumoto studied her for a moment as though trying to comprehend what the girl had just told her.

"Four guys jumped you! Did you do anything to provoke them?"

"I look different, and made the mistake of trusting them." Mary shrugged, and stopped realizing that hurt too. She coughed, making her body ache all over, and a small amount of blood escaped her lips. Masumoto eyes were wide with concern. In a swift movement she had picked up Mary in a cradle hold and started walking down the little street.

"Where are we going?" asked Mary.

"I'm taking you to get healed," she retorted, ignoring the civilians who stopped to stare at the shinigami holding the badly beaten girl.

"I'm fine," said Mary. She hated it when people fused over her, especially when she was hurt. "I can take care of myself." Masumoto looked down at her, surprised.

"You just spat up blood, you're covered in bruises, your rietsu is dropping, and you want me to believe your fine? You're lucky that I found you when I did." Masumoto waited for a response, but the girl in her arms had passed out.

Fate has a funny way of pushing it's puppets to their destinies.

* * *

Mary woke up in a warm bed. Her moment of comfort ended quickly when the pain caught up to her. Everyone square inch of her hurt. Wait, that wasn't right. Her right elbow and left big toe didn't hurt. She attempted to sit up but a gentle hand pushed her back down into the covers.

"Please don't move, your wounds are still healing," said a quiet voice. She moved her head to the left to see a young shinigami with short black hair and large blue eyes. She was laying on a cot in a small all white room.

"What happened?" Mary asked.

"Lieutenant Masumoto brought you here severely injured. Your right ankle was sprained, your cheek cut, you had numerous bruises, and one of your ribs had broken and punctured your lung. You've been asleep under my supervision."

"And you are?"

"Yamada Hanatarou."

"Thanks Hanatarou-san. I'm Mary Nakamura. But why am I being taken care of by a shinigami. Shouldn't I be in a Rukongai clinic?"

"Your life was waning too fast. Masumoto fukutaicho feared that a normal clinic's resources wouldn't have been able to save you. She was probably right, but her actions have upset a few people here," explained Hanatarou. He smiled shyly, and the door opened behind him.

"You're awake!" Masumoto yelled in happiness. Behind her stood a sullen white haired boy. Mary's eyes widen when she saw the white captains uniform and felt his powerful rietsu. A captain of the Goeti 13 was paying her a visit?

"Hi Masumoto fukutaicho," said Mary, "Hanatarou-san has just been filling me in on what happened, and it seems I owe you my thanks. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble." She smiled weakly.

"Just some idiots that think Rukongai souls should look after their own kind. I was really worried about you. I even conned taicho to come," exclaimed the well-endowed woman. The boy behind her grumbled, "You just get better, so she'll stop running over here every two hours."

"Yes sir," Mary replied weakly. They spent the next five minutes asking Mary exactly what had happened in the fight. Did she live anywhere, or was there someone that would be worried about her?

"No. I've only been in Soul Society for two months. I've been living on the streets, getting change for doing odd jobs." The other three just looked at her.

"Nobody has offered you a place to stay?" asked Toshiro, "Usually, new souls find a place to live within the first few days." Mary shrugged at this.

"I'm different. People fear difference; it's nothing I'm not used to. Also I have a higher rietsu, and if I'm not careful I frighten people off. Don't worry about it," explained Mary. The shinigami exchanged looks.

"You are aware of your heightened rietsu?" asked Toshiro.

"Yeah. I can feel rietsu. That's one of the ways I knew Masumoto was a lieutenant. Why are you all looking at me like that?" exclaimed Mary sitting up and ignoring Hantarou's pleas to lie back down. The pain in her chest made her gasp.

"Your rietsu isn't just high. The night you were hurt, I was out drinking when I felt a spike of rietsu close to that of a fourth seated officer," explained Masumoto, "When I found you I expected to find an injured shinigami."

"So, what does that mean?" asked Mary, uneasy of where this was going.

"It means that you might be capable of becoming a shinigami."

Mary eyes widened.

"She needs to rest Masumoto fukotaicho, Hitsugaya taicho," Hanatarou said to the Captain and his subordinate.

"We'll talk later," said Masumoto, winking as she followed her captain out the door. Hanatarou helped Mary lay back down on the soft cot. He produced a little bell and set it on table beside her.

"When you wake up ring this bell, and I'll be in with some food later," instructed the healer. He went to leave when Mary reached out and caught his arm.

"Hey Hanatarou-san. Thanks," said Mary. Momentarily caught off guard, Hanatarou only nodded before shutting off the lights and leaving. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had bothered to thank him before.

* * *

Hanatarou tried for what felt like the millionth time, to make Mary sit still. It was only her second day in bed.

"Mary-san please don't move," he begged.

"I'm sorry Hanatarou-san, but I'm restless. And you can drop the suffix. You've seen me half naked for christ's sake," said Mary, obviously trying to suppress the blush that was starting to grow on her cheeks. Hanatarou however let his burn freely. He had had to change her bandages around her breasts and torso several times when performing healing kido on her rib and lungs. In the process he'd caught glimpses of her nude upper half, which in his profession was nothing new albeit embarrassing for the patient. Mary had tried to hide her shame with witty remarks and wry humor.

"If you feel restless then I could get you something to do," offered Hanatarou. He withdrew from the room for a moment and returned with a pack of cards. "Isane-fukutaicho let me borrow these. Now I have other duties to perform. Will you be alright here by yourself?"

"Sure. Besides Matsumoto-san said she might bring some friends with her today." Mary shooed the little healer out of the room with her hand. As soon as she was sure he was gone, she slipped out of bed. Her whole torso screamed in pain, but she bit back the whine that wanted to escape her lips.

Mary gave the bed pan a disgusted look before going into the bathroom to relieve herself. After washing her hands, she looked up into the mirror and stuck her tongue out at her reflection. Her blue-gray eye was swollen and purple, and the gash below it had been healed, leaving a very very faint scar. Now her face matched her life.

Mary had been a teenage pregnancy given up to a woman who couldn't have children. Her mom's name was Deb, and at age 10 Mary had been told she was adopted. It made sense now that she thought about it. She didn't look like anyone else in the family, and Deb had never been with anyone long enough to have kids.

Then he came, the son-of-a-bitch that ruined everything.

A soft knock on the door disrupted her musing. "Mary? You in there?" It was Matsumoto. She sighed and opened the door. Matsumoto raised her eyes at Mary standing there.

"Are you sure you should be out of bed?"

"I'm fine," Mary lied as she crawled back under the covers. "I just don't want to use that." She motioned to the bedpan. That's when she noticed the two men standing in the door way.

"Oh, this is Ikkaku…" started Matsumoto gesturing to the bald man before she was cut off.

"And I am Yumichika Ayasegawa. So you are the infamous girl everyone's talking about," said the feminine man.

"I'm being talked about," Mary said dryly, looking over at Matsumoto. The busty woman smiled deviously.

"Well. The women's society heard what I did for you. Soooooo I told them what you told me and Hitsugaya-taicho, but it was supposed to be a secret. I don't know how it could have…" Matsumoto stopped as a small vein started to throb on Mary's temple. Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged knowing glances. They'd seen a certain taicho give Matsumoto that same look many times.

"Matsumoto-san, although I'm grateful for your help, I find it a little rude for you to be telling my personal life as gossip." Mary attempted to cross her arms, but found it painful and instead settled for a fierce glare. Ikkaku noticed the pain that crossed the girl's features and how she hid it. He smiled. She was obviously prideful, stubborn, and hated showing her current feebleness. He respected that.

"Oh look cards!" Matsumoto said trying to change the subject. "Lets play poker."

"But I'm horrible at poker and losing can be so ugly," grumbled Yumichika.

"You guys play black jack?" asked Mary evilly. Ikkaku cocked an eyebrow. He was really starting to like this girl.

"Ooo! I'll deal," said Matsumoto, and started the first hand.

For some reason Ikkaku and Matsumoto lost the majority of the games. While Matsumoto continued to be her bubbly self, Ikkaku started to get competitive. Finally Mary let out a long yawn that signaled their departure. Matsumoto set the card deck to the side. Ikkaku and Yumichika stood up from where they had been sitting on the edge of the bed. Mary yawned loudly again, wincing slightly as her rib complained at being jostled.

"Well we have to get going. Sayonara Mary!" said the red-haired fukutaicho giving Mary a warm hug.

"Good bye Mary-san. I hope that ugly bruise heals quickly," said Yumichika, strutting out the door.

"I'll be back for a rematch kid," snorted Ikkaku, shutting the door behind them.

Mary lay in the now quiet room, tired. She looked at the little bell that she could ring for food. Her stomach had the beginnings of hunger pains gnawing it. However, her eyelids were heavy and she quickly fell asleep.

Unohana taicho had been the one to wake her. The motherly captain took her temperature, checked her pulse, and examined Hanatarou's handiwork.

"Everything looks fine. We should be able to discharge you sometime tomorrow," said the fourth division captain sweetly.

"So I will be going back to the 65th district." It wasn't a question but a statement of fact.

"Actually, considering your current predicament in Rukongai, we hoped you might apply for the shinigami academy. Matsumoto-fukutaicho and Hitsugaya-taicho spoke with the soutaicho about you staying at the tenth division until the entry examine in a few weeks."

"Really?" Mary smiled.

The next afternoon Hanatarou brought in her clothes. The blood had been washed out of the jeans, green tank top, and ACDC sweater. Her old sneakers had been trashed and she was given toed socks and sandals to wear. While her rib and lung was completely healed, the muscles felt tight when she shrugged on her sweater.

When Matsumoto came to pick her up, Mary bowed to Hanatarou causing the young healer to gap.

"Sorry I was such a pain in the butt patient Hanatarou-san. Arigato," said Mary to the medic, who was still trying to remember the last time anyone had bothered bowing to him. He finally managed bow back and stutter out, "It was my pleasure Mary-san."

"Let's go Mary! Hitsugaya-taicho will kill me if I'm gone too long," said Matsumoto grabbing Mary and pulling her onto the street. The trip was short, and Mary stayed quiet allowing Matsumoto talk. The orange-haired female smiled happily as she told her all about her trip to the real world to see this human shinigami named Ichigo. In the process the talk turned to a girl named Orihime, which Matsumoto let slip had a crush on brash teenager.

Mary listened to the busty woman's ramblings. She wasn't much for gossip, but then she expected this from Matsumoto. When they finally got to the tenth division, Mary let out a sigh of relief.

Hitsugaya sat behind his desk working when they entered. He glanced up, taking in Mary's clothes. He'd only seen her in a plain white robe at the fourth division.

"Hi taicho! I'm going to show Mary the surprise. You coming?" Matsumoto hugged him from behind, pushing her large bust into the back of his head.

"No, and besides it's your surprise not mine.

"A surprise?" Mary asked worriedly. Matsumoto grabbed her and dragged her down the hallway. She flung open one of the doors, revealing a plain bedroom with a small dresser and a twin bed. The surprise, Matsumoto was talking about was a pile of clothes on the bed. To Mary's horror there was a lot of pink. She hated pink.

"Since you only have that one outfit to wear I thought I'd buy you some new ones. Isn't this so cute!" said the fukutaicho holding up a green shirt with frill along the collar.

"Yeah," Mary replied smiling a little.

"You don't like it," she pouted.

"No, it's just…uh…" The orange haired woman looked down. "I don't just like it I love it!" Mary spurted out. To her relief Matsumoto perked up and smiled.

"Well I'll let you try everything on." She shut the door leaving Mary to gingerly pick through the clothes. She used a pocket knife she had to rip the unnecessary frill off several shirts, making them more to her liking. Mary changed and flopped onto the bed. Life was definitely going to get interesting from here on in.


	2. First Kill

Chapter 2

* * *

"So wait…How do I do this again?" Mary asked Matsumoto. Mary had been trying unsuccessfully to make an orb of rietsu. It was one of the many things they would ask her to do for the entrance test tomorrow. She gnawed on her finger nail, a habit she had when she was nervous or agitated.

"You just concentrate your energy around your hand and expel it like…this" Matsumoto showed Mary the perfect basketball sized ball of light that had appeared from her hand. Mary held out her hand for what felt like the hundredth time and concentrated. Like the many times before, she only managed to make the area around her hand glow.

"You're holding on to it." The two women turned to see Hitsugaya standing in the doorway. "You need to let it go." Mary did as she was told and saw the light in her hand start to bubble away from her skin like a flame.

"Now just give control to its flow, and you have it," instructed the young taicho. After a few more tries Mary had a small sideways oval resting in her palm. She released the power and wiped her brow.

"Thanks Hitsugaya-taicho."

"You're Welcome. Matsumoto. Paper work." He gestured at his fukutaicho to follow him.

"Aww, but I'm helping Mary study," whined the woman.

"It's okay. I think I got it now so I'll just keep practicing."

Matsumoto grudgingly followed her captain out of the room.

In several hours time, she had all but mastered the technique of producing her rietsu. The only thing was that instead of round, it always came out as a sideways oval. Mary shrugged it off.

She heard a rustle behind her and ducked the sheath of Ikkaku's blade swung over her head. Mary spun and jumped back landing gracefully on her feet.

"Sup Ikkaku?" she asked dodging another blow to her chest. Sparing with Ikkaku had become a daily part of her training for the entry exam. She didn't need to know how to fight to get in, but Ikkaku insisted it was never too early to start.

"Your reflexes have gotten better. A few weeks ago you'd be knocked out on the ground." Ikkaku grinned as Mary stopped the sheath with her hand and punched him in the chest. He grabbed her hand and threw her over his head. Mary landed hard on the ground, but before she could get up the point of Ikkaku's zanpaktu was aimed at her throat.

"Ya know it's kind of unfair to fight someone when their weaponless," she mentioned from the ground.

"All's fair in war." He helped her up. Yumichika watched from the doorway that led to the garden.

"So what did you guys want to do today?" Mary asked happily.

"Shouldn't you be studying for your exam," Yumichika asked teasingly.

"Fuck that. I've been studying all morning. I wanna do something fun."

"I know how about we…"

Ikkaku was cut off as Matsumoto raced into the room.

"Taicho just got a message from the soutaicho. Ryoka have gotten passed the gate."

Ikkaku gave Yumichika and Mary a knowing glance.

"Well that sounds like fun."

* * *

Mary ran next to Ikkaku and Yumichika over the roofs of the city. She held the hilt of the simple katana strapped to her waist. Unfortunately, she couldn't shunpo which slowed the other two down.

"Wait is that one of them!" she shouted, pointing to a man running down the alleyway. His clothes were Rukongai fashion and he held a spear in his left hand. Ikkaku grinned and sped up. He dropped down in front of the man, while Mary and Yumichika covered his retreat. Seeing he was cornered he let out a bestial growl.

"Back off!" he yelled angrily. Mary heart beat at the wild look in the man's eyes. They were dilated in the bright sun-light.

"He's drugged," Mary stated blankly. "Look at his eyes."

"Damn it, she's right," Ikkaku drew his sword. "But drugged with what?"

The man glared at Mary, making her shiver. He lunged at her, spear held to kill. She side stepped, shouting in surprise at his sudden movement. Acting on instinct, she pulled out her katana and slashed across his chest. He stumbled and let out a guttural cry. The man slumped to the ground and lay still.

Yumichika was speaking to a hell butterfly, and special ops appeared to take the ryoka's body. His dead eyes' irises were showing enough, so you could see they were pure white. Mary shuddered at the blood she could see spilling from the killing blow.

She felt a comforting hand placed on her shoulder.

"You alright?" Ikkaku asked her. The question brought her back from her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The three left for the eleventh divisions barracks. Zaraki and Yachiru met them about half-way there.

"Hey have you guys seen any of the ryoka?" Zaraki asked.

"They're that way Ken-chan!" The hyper pink haired girl from his back pointed down a dead end.

"Don't waste your time taicho. They're just drugged rukongai scum. Even Mary was able to take one out by herself," Ikkaku informed him.

"Nice job kid." Zaraki smacked her hard enough on the back to make her double over.

"Er…thanks," Mary said, straightening up.

* * *

"Has Mary been acting different lately?" Matsumoto asked her taicho.

"Why do you ask?" Hitsugaya sipped his tea.

"Well I took her to her entrance exams today. She was phenomenal of course, but when they told her she had passed she was…almost sad about it." Matsumoto tapped her chin thoughtfully. Hitsugaya pondered over what his fukutaicho had said. Now that she mentioned it, Mary had been acting odd. Her eyes hadn't really focused on anything when she had had breakfast with the other division members, and she hadn't laughed or joked with Ikkaku and Yumichika when they came to wish her luck on her exam.

"We'll talk to her when she comes home tonight," said Hitsugaya. He absent-mindedly rolled his teacup between his fingers.

That night, Mary returned to find the tenth division taicho and fukutaicho waiting for her in their office.

"What's up guys?" Mary feigned happiness.

"Mary…is everything alright?" Matsumoto asked kindly.

"Of course, I…"

"We can tell something is bothering you." Hitsugaya turned from where he was staring out the window. "So don't bother lying."

The blond girl sighed in defeat. "I feel guilty about killing the ryoka. I killed someone who was a normal breath person like me. They had feelings and a life and I took that all away."

Matsumoto came up and gave her a suffocating boob hug. She pulled back and looked the girl in the eyes. "It's okay to feel guilty, Mary. I'm sure almost every shinigami can tell you of a time when they felt guilty about killing, but it's our job. Someone has to protect soul society and the living world from hollows and intruders. I'll let you know that the man you killed yesterday had been given a drug that awakened the hollow inside him. We think it might have been Aizen, but the point is there was no helping him."

"You don't have to become a shinigami if you don't want to," Hitsugaya added. "Not everyone is cut out for this type of work."

Mary shook her head.

"No I want to become a shinigami. I want to help. You guys are my family now, and I don't want to lose that." She leaned forward and hugged Matsumoto. "Thanks for understanding though. I'll be fine."

Mary then walked over and startled Hitsugaya by giving him a crushing hug and lifting him off the floor. "And thanks for letting me stay in your barracks pip-squeak!" She said happily. Dropping the white-haired taicho to the floor, Mary took off at a run. Hitsugaya's eye twitched as his face turned bright red.

"MARY!" The taicho shunpoed after the girl, leaving Matsumoto to roll around laughing on the floor.


	3. Reluctant Escort

Chapter 3

* * *

In three months, Mary was the top of her kendo class. Of course, it helped that she was taking private lessons with the third seat of the eleventh division. Conversely, she was failing her kido class, and it became a normal occurrence for Mary to come home covered in burns from an accidental kido explosion.

On one such occasion, Mary was walking home after a particularly rough day. One of her pant legs was missing, and she was going to have a tough time explaining to Hitsugaya why she needed another pair of hakama. She stopped when something caught her attention. It looked like an orange-haired shinigami was running full speed from Kenpachi-taicho. Being more intent on his pursuer, he didn't notice the blond girl until he crashed into her sending them into a heap.

"Sorry!" the red-head apologized. He pushed her off and tried to escape but Zaraki blocked his way.

"Sup Kenpachi?" Mary greeted, holding up her hand in a peace sign.

"HI EYES-CHAN!" Yachiru said happily from his back.

"Thanks for catching Ichigo, Mary. I owe you one," the massive captain replied. He turned to Ichigo who looked positively pale as Zaraki reached for his zanpaktou. So this was Ichigo. He fit Matsumoto's description of him perfectly. Mary sighed. Looks like she was going to have to save him from Kenpachi's fight fever.

"Aww!" Mary whimpered unhappily. "Can't I fight him first Zaraki, pretty please?"

"Eh?" Kenpachi looked at her fake puppy-dog face.

"I'll just warm him up for you!" Mary said happily. "Right Ichigo." She winked. Apparently the teen was an idiot because now he glared at Mary. "You want to fight me too!? Fine!" Mary gulped maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"But lets not do it here. How about at the tenth division barracks? I'll bring him back to you when he's all warmed up Kenpachi," Mary told him.

"Alright? Just go easy on him kid. I want him to be able to fight me at full strength." Kenpachi walked off with Yachiru swinging happily from his back.

"Let's go!" Mary said happily. She grabbed Ichigo's wrist and dragged him towards the tenth division. As soon as they were out of Kenpachi's range Mary slowed down to an easy walk.

"So…you said you wanted to fight me?" Ichigo asked, completely confused as Mary nonchalantly led the way.

"You really are thick. I was just using that as an excuse to get away from Kenpachi," Mary explained.

"Oh…ah thanks. So who are you?" Ichigo asked. "I've never seen a shinigami dressed in those colors." He gestured to her red pants and white top.

"I'm Mary. And I'm dress like this because I won't get black robes until I graduate from the shinigami academy," Mary informed him.

"There's a shinigami academy?"

"Well yeah. Did you think they just let anyone carry around a sword and kill hollows? You have to take an entrance exam, there's kendo, kido, politics, and whole bunch of other stuff," Mary explained. "And then…"

She halted when she felt a familiar reitsu come at her from the right. Without thinking, she held up her hand to stop the blow aimed for her chest. Mary gripped the fist tightly in her hand.

"Nice try, Ikkaku," Mary remarked grinning. Her bald friend smiled back before asking, "So how was school?"

"What are you my mother?"

"Just call me Daddy, squirt."

"SQUIRT! I'm almost as tall as you!"

"Almost…"

Ichigo watched the two banter back and forth. Whoever this girl was she seemed to be very familiar with Ikkaku and Kenpachi. He noted she hadn't used a suffix.

"Oi, Ichigo. What are you doing in soul society?" Ikkaku asked finally turning away from the aggravated blond. She stuck her tongue out at him comically.

"Well Rukia got a message from Renji about the ryoka, so hat-and-clogs sent me to check it out," the orange haired teen explained. Ikkaku nodded. The three continued walking as Ikkaku filled Ichigo in on the ryoka's suspected involvement with Aizen.

"Uh…Ikkaku?" Mary asked, finally noticing something. "Where's Yumichika." Normally the best friends were inseparable. Ikkaku smirked evilly.

"Oh you'll see."

Mary raised an eyebrow. She had a bad feeling about that smirk. An indeed her feelings were correct because as soon as she stepped through the door Matsumoto and Yumichika tackled her.

"Why didn't you tell us the academy's spring dance was tonight?!" Matsumoto practically squealed.

"Because I'm not going." Yumichika and Matsumoto pouted. "I can't dance." POUT! "I don't have a dress."

Matsumoto instantly perked up. She sauntered over to the couch and held up a beautiful blue kimono.

"I don't have a date."

Yumichika and Matsumoto pondered this dilemma a moment, and then all eyes turned to Ichigo.

"No," the teen said forcefully. "I don't do dances."

Ikkaku gave him an evil look. "Go or I tell Kenpachi where you're hiding." If Ichigo had lazor vision Ikkaku would have been a burnt husk. "Fine, but don't expect me to dance."

"That's cool with me," Mary said as Matsumoto dragged her out of the room, kimono in hand. Yumichika forcefully pushed Ichigo into another empty room. "Ikkaku can you go get my dress robes?"

After an hour of arguing and chaos from both Ichigo and Mary. The two were brought back out to where Ikkaku was waiting.

"I'm so going to kill them for this," Ichigo said, eyes twitching. He was wearing basically the same thing as a normal soul reaper, except the top was sky blue and the bottom was navy. His sandles had also been replaced with an elegant pair of slippers.

"Let me know when you do so I can help," Mary replied, trying hard not to smear off the cumbersome make up. She never wore make up. Luckily, she kept her hair so short that Matsumoto could only put in a small clip.

It was at that moment that Hitsugaya arrived back from tea with Byakuya. He stopped when he noticed the couple glaring in the middle of the room. Matsumoto was in the process of taking a picture of the angry teenagers. Ikkaku and Yumichika turned to look at him.

"I don't wanna know." The captain then walked through the room to his quarters. He stopped just before exiting. "You two look nice," he complimented without looking back.

"SEE!" Matsumoto practically beamed. "Even taicho admitted you guys look good. Now get together so I can take your picture." After sufficiently appeasing Matsumoto's need to 'preserve the memory,' the troupe headed off to the large building near the wall of Seirieti.

"Have fun you two!" Matsumoto yelled after them as they followed the other students attended the dance.

"And no funny business!" Ikkaku called after them. Ichigo and Mary gave each other appalled blush filled looks. That was the _last_ thing on their minds.

As soon as they got into the dance, the pair made their way over to a small table in the corner where they could effectively hide.

"I'm so sorry about all this. I swear I didn't have any idea. I usually don't go to dances because…I can't dance," Mary explained.

"It's okay. I'm the same way." Ichigo twiddled his thumbs. "So aren't you gonna go talk to your friends?"

"You mean the ones that hate me because I'm friends with two of the captains or the ones that are terrified of me because I hang out with the eleventh division and kick their ass in kendo class."

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Er…sorry."

"Don't be. I look weird. I have powerful friends. Anyone would be intimidated by that. In fact coming here with you is just icing on the cake," said Mary. She took the lilac blossom from the vase in the center of the table and started to tear it apart.

"How the hell am I icing on the cake?" Ichigo asked.

"You're the famous substitute shinigami who defeated Kenpachi and Kuchiki-taicho. You obtained bankai in days. A lot the students here are terrified and in awe of you. Haven't you noticed all the tables around us are empty?"

Ichigo looked up. All the seats around them were indeed vacant. Several of the surrounding students who were staring quickly looked away. Ichigo suddenly felt very self conscious. He glanced at the destroyed lilac Mary was still picking at._ Leaving the flower, Mary chewed her nails. _

Ichigo finally took a moment to really look at the girl across from him. She reminded him a lot of Tatsuki and Rukia. When he had first bumped into her (literally) the blond looked rather plain. Now with Matsumoto's expert makeover, she looked pretty and even a little exotic.

"Did you wanna leave?" he asked, plucking the petal she was holding.

"Love to!" Mary sprang up and grabbed Ichigo's wrist. The crowd easily parted for the two powerful blue-clad teenagers. The whole dance seemed to relax once the couple passed through the exit.

As soon as they had left, Mary dug into the front of her kimono and pulled out a handkerchief. She scrubbed off the itchy black and blue eye makeup Matsumoto had so carefully applied.

"Did I miss any?" the girl asked. Ichigo laughed at the racoon eyes her smudged make-up had created.

"Here." He took the handkerchief. Holding Mary's chin, he cleaned her face. "You have two different colored eyes?" How the hell had he not noticed that before?

"You're so perceptive. Yes I do. I've been trying to get Matsumoto to buy me a brown contact lens that I could put over my blue one, but she insists I look better the way I am," Mary explained. Ichigo pulled back. Now that all that cumbersome makeup was gone he could see the scowl she wore.

"What's wrong with looking like yourself? I have orange hair, and you don't see me dying it black." Ichigo smiled. Mary habitually smiled back. Realizing he hadn't removed his hand from her chin, he pulled it back as though he'd been burned. Mary blushed crimson at how quickly the situation had turned intimate. She could understand now why this Orihime Inoue liked Ichigo. He was a witless charmer.

"Did you wanna go get some sushi? I didn't have enough time to get dinner before we left," Mary suggested.

"Sure."

The rest of the night ran almost too smoothly. The sushi was delicious. They found they had the same taste in music when Mary mentioned how much she missed her favorite band from the living world. Ichigo promised he would bring their latest cd next time he came. Afterwards, Mary and Ichigo took a short hike into the hills above the city. The moon had come out and they sat down to rest.

"I'm so tired," Mary yawned. The climb and the summer heat were starting to get to Ichigo. Mary lay down eagle spread on the dew strewn grass. She closed her eyes.

"Don't go falling asleep because I sure as hell am not carrying you down," said Ichigo resting next to her.

"Can't fall asleep. I got class in the morning," Mary said. They watched the cresent moon slowly move across the sky. After a half hour, the two wearily made their way back to the tenth division in silence. Mary slipped off her sandles and slid open the door.

"What the hell!" Matsumoto, Yumichika, Ikkaku, Kira, and Renji were sprawled out around the office along with bottles upon bottles of empty sake.

"If they expect me to help them clean this up and tend to their hangovers they are sorely mistaken," Mary said venomously. She stepped over Kira and walked to Hitsugaya's desk where the majority of the sake bottles were piled. She grabbed a full jug and took a small swig.

"Yuck! Cold sake. No thank you." She placed the bottle back on the table. "So where are you staying?" Mary asked Ichigo.

"Er..."

"Well I'd say sleep on the couch, but Renji's there right now." She sighed. "I guess I'll just pull out the futon and you can stay in my room."

"Your room!" Ichigo exclaimed suddenly getting a strange image of trying to sleep with Mary curled up feet from him.

"Unless you want to sleep out here and get woken by Hitsugaya's yelling later."

"No it's just…I've never slept over with a girl before." Well except his sisters, but that didn't really count.

"Trust me. We fart in our sleep and snore just like guys. You'll feel right at home," Mary chided leading the way to her room. Ichigo glared at her.

Over the past few months she'd been staying here she had slowly given the room her own personal touch. She'd added a desk, which was completely covered in school papers. Bras and panties scattered around the floor making Ichigo blush crimson. How the hell could one girl have so much black lace? On top of her dresser were a massive amount of sweets Hitsugaya had pawned off on her after one of Ukitake's 'visits.' And her prized possession was a large Harry Potter poster showing the Hogwarts castle and lake.

"My sister Karin loves those books," Ichigo said pointing to the poster.

"I'm a huge fan," Mary told him. "I feel bad I couldn't watch the last few movies. I really wanted to see how they were going to do the final book."

"So wait. If you're into Harry Potter and you like modern music…when did you die?" Ichigo asked. Mary thought for a moment.

"About six and a half months ago," she answered. Had it really been that long? Seemed like so much had already happened.

"Oh, so how did you um…"

"I drowned," Mary said stiffly. "I'll tell you, not all shinigami will let you know how they died. Time has erased most people's memories, but the ones that remember…it's usually painful."

"Sorry," Ichigo said, feeling guilty for prying. Mary shrugged.

"The bathroom is down the hall and to the right." Ichigo left and came back to see Mary in a pair of knee length shorts and a tank top. He was relieved to find the underwear had been picked up and put away. Even if Mary was just a friend, he was still a guy and lacy underwear was like waving a red flag in his face. A small spare futon had been squished into the remaining floor space. Ichigo stripped his shirt and gingerly climbed into it.

"Goodnight," Mary settled onto her own futon. She slipped on a blindfold and clicked off the light.

~*~

"MATSUMOTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ichigo woke up and heard shouting from down the hall. Mary was already gone. She'd probably changed and left for school while he was still asleep. Thankfully, he had Kon taking care of his body while he was here, so he didn't have to worry about rushing to the living world for school.

"Sounds like Toshiro found the mess in his office," Ichigo muttered getting up. He found his shinigami uniform and Zangetsu lain carefully on the floor next to him. Dressing quickly, he put the futon away and walked out into the corridor to see hung over shinigami grumbling as they picked up sake bottles.

"Morning," he greeted.

"Where were you Ichigo?" Matsumoto asked. She had taken some medicine and was a lot more active then the rest of her comrades.

"I slept in Mary's room, but I just go…"

"YOU SLEPT IN HER ROOM!" Ikkaku was inches from his face. "What the hell did you do to my little girl?!"

"Your little girl? Feeling a bit paternal Ikkaku," Renji mocked. "Better not let her hear that. The way you're teaching her to fight, she would tear you apart."

"Relax!" Ichigo yelled back. "She lent the spare futon because Renji was hogging the couch!"

"I wasn't hogging the couch! I woke up on the floor!" Renji yelled.

"Because you fell off it and were too hung over to get back on!"

"Shut up Ikkaku!"

"Please stop. I have a huge headache."

"No one asked you!"


	4. License to Fight

Please review and enjoy.

* * *

Whispers had started as soon as Mary had entered the classroom. Showing up last night with Ichigo had drawn a lot more attention than she had thought. Ignoring the probing stares, she walked purposefully to her desk and sat down. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Bringing up her left thumb, she chewed on the end of her bitten down nail.

Last night had been fun. Ichigo was a nice guy once you got past the whole 'could probably kill you with his reitsu alone' thing. His face had looked a lot different when he was sleeping this morning. With all the angry lines gone from his face, he looked handsome.

The next few days were a blur. Ichigo hung at the tenth division, although Ikkaku insisted he sleep on the couch. Then he left back for the human world and his human life.

***

"I don't think I'm doing this right," Mary said as she once again munched on her pinky nail. Her instructors had been teaching her to relax and attempt to feel her zanpaktou. So far Mary didn't feel anything but stupid. She opened her eyes to look around the room at the rest of her struggling classmates.

"Just keep trying," Sensei told her.

She closed her eyes again. Something had been nagging her subconscious for days now. Early in kendo class, it had been almost possible to ignore. To her humiliation, Mary lost the spar and was forced to stay after class. It was as though she had forgotten something important, but for the life of her couldn't remember what it was.

"_Mary! My name is… Say my name!" _

Mary jumped at the sudden voice that echoed in her head.

"I heard it...her." It had definitely been a female voice. Some of the other students opened their eyes to look at her.

"That's a good sign. Means your making progress," her sensei said. "What did it say?"

Mary heard the voice again.

"_My name is…My name is…. My name is __K..." _The voice continued its chant.

Mary held out her arm. "Climb Kerria!" A bell was heard and a thin sword appeared before her. The white blade was curved like a sickle. The handle was yellow with a diamond shaped gold hilt. Sprouting from the hilt was a thick branch that wound around her forearm. Mary normally didn't act like some happy, bubbly Mary-sue, but the sight of her own zanpaktou made an excited squee escape her lips. She jumped up and held her weapon in a fighting stance. Some of her classmates clapped at her success, while others looked on with envy.

"Bravo!" The instructor examined the blade. "Plant based zanpaktu are usual kido based. However, your kido grades tell me this might not be the case with your blade. I'll be interested to see what your attacks can do once you've mastered them."

Her sensei showed her how to pull back her reitsu to change the blade into a simple katana, and dismissed her from class.

Mary practically ran to the eleventh division. She was going to kick Ikkaku's ass with her zanpaktou, but not, she decided, before she messed with him.

"Oh Ikkaku!" Mary yelled shrilly into the barracks. She finally found him relaxing by his corridors with Shuheii, Yumichika, and a bottle of sake.

"Why are you home early?" Yumichika asked. Mary faked an angry look.

"I got kicked out."

"WHAT!?" Ikkaku had grabbed the front of her shirt. "What do you mean you got kicked out?"

"Look some guy jumped me, so I beat the snot outta him. It wasn't my fault okay!" she struggled out of his hold.

Ikkaku growled. He drew his blade. "I don't care whose fault it was!" He swung and Mary drew her katana and pushed him back. He wasn't aiming to hurt her, just teach her a lesson. "Tomorrow we are going to your school and you are begging to be let back in!" Swing. Clang. "And I will personally take care of the ass that started all this!" Swing. Clang. Clang. Swing.

"Climb Kerria!" Clang! "Surprise! I was let out early because I got my zanpaktou today!"

Ikkaku looked stunned by the white sickle that his stopped his angry swing.

"You…haha!" Ikkaku sheathed his sword and grabbed her in an affectionate death hug. "My little girl is growing up into a real shinigami!"

"Hey I am NOT your LITTLE GIRL!!" Mary whacked him hard on the head with the end of her hilt making Ikkaku release her.

"Kerria, a yellow Japanese rose. Very tough and beautiful," Yumichika commented, looking at her released blade. "It suits you."

Mary smiled. She couldn't wait to show Ichigo when he got back.

***

Ichigo twirled a pencil between his fingers as he ignored his teacher. He gazed out the window at the houses and people going about their daily lives. Summer was on its way. Keigo wanted to go to some beach. Mizuiro had planned a vacation with some older woman. Chad was going to Mexico to visit a few childhood friends. Orihime had gotten a job at an ice cream parlor. And Ishida? Nobody knew quite what he was doing, but he had gotten a train ticket to Tokyo and been crafting dresses like crazy. That left Ichigo.

The traitor, Aizen, had regrettably gotten away during the Winter War with Gin. Fortunately, all the espada and Tousen had been destroyed. Slowly everyone patched themselves back up and got on with their lives. Uryu had become strangely friendly with Ichigo. Chad had also opened up quite a bit and even talked more. It was as though they had finally realized life was too short to waste being stubborn or distant. Lying on the brink of death will do that to you. Inoue however had become quiet. Her old bubbly self came out seldom and at times was forced. And she clung to Ichigo's side like a leech! At one point he had had to ask her to go hang with her friends. They had all matured and changed greatly from their experiences. Well except for Tatsuki, who now knew about everything and complained like crazy that they had not originally included her.

The bell rang.

"Ichiiiiiigooo!" Duck. Keigo smash.

Ichigo wondered what Mary might be doing this summer. Did her school have summer classes?

"Ichigo."

Maybe she was graduating. He should have asked.

"Ichigo."

He could give that cd he mixed for her as a graduation present.

"Hey Ichigo."

Or maybe…

"ICHIGO!" WHACK!

"What the hell Rukia!?"

"I finally got your attention," the petite shinigami said triumphantly. "I wanted to tell you I'm going back to Soul Society this summer."

"That didn't require hitting me with a book." Ichigo massaged his sore head. "Hey Rukia. Does the Shinigami Academy have summer classes?" Rukia was caught off guard by the question.

"No. Why?" she answered.

"I have a friend who's going there this year and I wanted to visit her."

Rukia eyed him suspiciously. "This isn't the same girl you took to the dance?" she said grinning evilly.

"Wha…How did you know about that?!" Ichigo poked her flat chest. She smacked his hand out of the way. Rukia happily held up a photo of Ichigo and Mary dressed up and glaring daggers at the camera. Ichigo tried to snatch the photo away, but Rukia easily skipped out of his reach.

"You two look sooooo happy. It's no wonder you want to see her again," Rukia mocked holding the photo just out of reach. "Do you liiike her?"

"Ichigo has a girlfriend!" Keigo sneakily grabbed the picture. "You two have the same 'smile.'"

"She's got a beautiful chest," drooled Chizu, who was leaning over his shoulder.

Ichigo blushed crimson. "She's just a friend!"

"Then why is your face red?" Rukia was having way too much fun. "Matsumoto said you even slept in her room."

He finally grabbed the photo. Rukia smiled and walked from the room. Ichigo gave the snapshot a proper look. They actually looked pretty good now that he saw it. Their short yellow and orange hair offset the outfits they wore. He smirked at how alike their scowls were, right down to the slight twitch in the temple. It had been a nice night.

"Do you really have a girlfriend, Kurosaki-kun?" said a forlorn voice behind me. He turned around to see Orihime looking up at him.

"No Inoue," He declared yet again. The red-headed girl perked up almost instantly. "So what's with the photo?" So Ichigo jokingly told her about his night with Mary. Inoue giggled, "That sounds just like Matsumoto-san."

Ichigo smiled back. It was rare to see Inoue truly laugh these days. He missed it.

***

It was the last day before summer break and Mary was nervous as fuck. She stared out at the target in front of her. All students no matter when they joined the academy had to take an exam at the end of the year. If they passed they would become full flanked shinigami and be put into one of the 13 protection squads. If not they would spend another year at the academy.

Her other examines had been a piece of cake, now came the one she was worried about…kido. There was a written examine which was basically showing you had memorized the complete incantations of the first ten basic spells. No biggy. Now came the tough part, actually showing she could do the spells.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!_ Hado __Shakkah__o_!" BOOM! The red ball of fire flew from her hand. It just hit the corner of the target.

"Good. Your aim needs improving, but you passed," said her small kido instructor.

"I passed?"

"You passed."

"So I'm going to be a shinigami?"

"Yes."

"YES!!!!" Mary punched the air.

The ceremony was small. Only about thirty shinigami had passed the exams that year. Mary and two of her classmates got tiny red pins for obtaining their zanpaktous before leaving the academy. They were all garbed in the shinigami traditional black to signify themselves as full fledged members of the thirteen protection squads. The soutachio came and gave a little speech about how it prided him every year to see new recruits successfully complete their education. Mary zoned out as the Yamamoto taicho droned on and on about the honor they would bring.

Matsumoto, Ikkaku, and Yumichika were watching with an icy Hitsugaya-taicho. Her eyes wandered over the rest of the crowd. Almost all were from high Rukongai areas. Mary noticed a few nobles sitting in the front row. Several low ranking shinigami were also in the audience, no doubt friends or family of one of the graduates.

A flash of orange and red hair caught her attention. She saw a small black haired girl, an orange haired girl, Ichigo, and Abari-fukutaicho sneaking in through the back door. Her stomach jumped in surprise. The four people leaned up against the back walls and watched the rest of the proceedings.

Mary finally stepped off the platform with the rest of her classmates. As soon as she was off the stage, two big boobs and a flock of orange hair assaulted her. "CONGRADULATIONS!!!!"

"Thanks" Gasp. "Matsumoto."

"Don't strangle her." Mary felt a pair of hands pry her from the fuku-taicho's grasp.

"Thanks Ichigo," the graduate coughed. She straightened up and was introduced to Rukia and Orihime. Ichigo explained they were off from school and had come for a visit.

Mary looked up and down Orihime a few times. She would make a good match for Ichigo. The endowed girl definitely had a body any man would want on his arm.

Her graduation party quite literally destroyed the tenth division. Hitsugaya-taichio final threw them all out when his desk was smashed by an overzealous Zaraki. Matsumoto sidled up to Mary and drunkenly elbowed her. She pointed over to where Ichigo and Orihime were leaning on each other.

"Those two look cozy," commented the red-head. "ooooh!!!! Ya know what we should do?"

Mary shrugged.

"We should get them together," Matsumoto whispered to her.

"Matsumoto, why do you feel the need to butt into everyone's affairs?" The graduate asked tiredly.

"Because…because…because they'd be hopeless without my help," the fuku-taicho finally concluded. Mary watched Matsumoto's scheming face. She could practically see the gears whirling below that mass of hair.

"I don't have a choice in helping you, do I?" Mary said unhappily.

"No."


	5. I Feel Like a Woman

This is unbetaed. If you see mistakes, TELL ME!

* * *

Mary opened her mouth and let out a huge yawn.

"Will you be quiet they'll hear you," Matsumoto whispered.

"I'm bored," Mary whined. "Can't we go back and get drunk and maybe I could kiss that guy I was talking to from the fifth division and get in a good fight with Ikkaku and go to bed. That was the graduation party I envisioned. Instead I'm with you spying on Ichigo and Orihime, who haven't done anything but talk on that bench."

"Cry baby," Matsumoto told her.

"I learned from the best, didn't I?" Mary grinned at Matsumoto. The red head snuck closer to the teens through the bushes. Ichigo and Orihime were talking too softly to hear, which drove Matsumoto up the wall. The gossip queen was dying to know what little 'confessions of affection' they were saying.

Mary hunkered down in the most comfortable patch of dirt she could find.

"This is taking too long," Mary muttered. There had to be a way to get Matsumoto to leave. She absently pulled her middle finger into mouth and bit on the nail. Her gaze rose above the teens to the tree branch hanging above the bench. Bright pink spring blossoms glowed in the moon light. A good breeze would probably knock them all loose.

Getting an idea, Mary crept past Matsumoto. The fuku taicho watched with interest as she got behind the couple and pulled on the branch hard. A cascade of pink petals fell down on Orihime. Mary jumped back in the bushes.

Orihime looked up at the petals falling down. Several of them clung to her hair and clothes. Ichigo smiled and brushed them away. His hand rested on her cheek a minute before he leaned in and kissed her.

Mary fearfully clamped her hand over Matsumoto's mouth as the fuku taicho squealed. "C'mon. Let's give them some privacy," Mary whispered.

"But…" Matsumoto started to argue. The blond gave her a severe glare before yanking her away and out of the bushes.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Matsumoto giggled like a little high school preteen. She started talking adamantly about how nice it was they had found one another, she was going to help with the wedding; they were going to have the most adorable little ginger head babies ever, etc.

Mary walked next to her quietly trying to ignore the painful twist in her gut. She was glad Ichigo had someone. Their little 'date' had meant nothing, and she didn't like Ichigo that way. He was important to her. She just wasn't sure how.

***

The next morning, a hell butterfly arrived to tell Mary she was being assigned quarters in the eleventh division. She raised her eyebrows as the little butterfly took off out through the window.

"_Besides ____Yachiru__, I'm going to be the only girl in the eleventh division," _she thought.

The whole tenth division had apparently already been told by Hitsugaya that she was to become an official eleventh squad member. Matsumoto was in tears that her 'partner in crime' was leaving her. Ikkaku, on the other hand, was thrilled his 'little girl' was finally coming to live with her 'papa.' Mary didn't know which was worse.

"I'll be a five minute walk away, Matsumoto," Mary sighed as the fuku taicho hugged her. "Hitsugaya-taicho can't you do something?" Mary asked the white haired taicho.

"Matsumoto if you finish your paper work you can go visit Mary in her new corridors later," the young prodigy told his underling. Matsumoto's eyes widened with fear and she clung to Mary's jacket with a vise like grip.

"Take me with you," the fuku taicho begged.

"Thanks for that," Mary grumbled to Hitsugaya.

"Consider it pay back for calling me _pip-squeak."_

"Oh you remember that?" Mary smiled nervously. The room was suddenly very cold.

After several more heart felt good byes, Mary and Ikkaku walked her few belongings to the eleventh division. Her new comrades ambushed them at the front gate.

The eleventh division men circled her. Their bodies were littered with scars and tattoos. Sweat permeated the air. Mary dropped her bag and reached for her katana. She sidestepped three bulky men, smacking them in the back of the head with her hilt. She stopped a blade aimed for her side. She twisted her wrist pushing the blade aside before she punched the man's chest. Mary danced around several other men, batting away katana and weapons.

A burly man with a scar cutting across his face head butt her. She stumbled back, momentarily disorienting her. Someone came up behind Mary and smacked her in the back with thick wooden rod. The attack sent her on her back. Mary saw the rod flying down and she rolled before jumping up. Smacking the man in the chest with the flat of her katana, she wearily backed away. Mary yelled and lunged swinging back and forth. She managed to push a path out of the men and ran to the division doors.

"Don't let her get in!" someone screamed. As she reached for the handle, it opened and she ran straight into thick abs.

"Eh?" Kenpachi looked down at her.

"EYES-CHAN!" Yachiru chirped from his shoulder.

"Mary Nakamura, new Eleventh Squad member," Mary told them. She mock saluted her new taicho and fuku taicho before falling back and passing out.

Cold water brought her back to consciousness. She sat up, cursing in fluent English.

"You alright?" Ikkaku asked, tossing aside the empty bucket. All the division members were looking down at her with big stupid grins on their faces.

"Whoever head butt me, fuck you," Mary said and held up her finger. One man reached down and helped her up. The others patted her on the back good naturedly. "She'll do," someone laughed. They dispersed, leaving Ikkaku, Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Mary to stand at the open door.

"What was that?" Mary asked. She gingerly poked her forehead to feel a large bump forming.

"Initiation," Ikkaku said matter a fact. "Gotta make sure they don't send us any wimps."

Ikkaku and Mary made their way to her new room. It smelled like sweat. She dropped her bags with a thump and fell onto the futon, ready for a nap.

"So," Ikkaku said leaning against the door jab. "I didn't know you spoke English."

"I moved from the States when I was thirteen," Mary mumbled into the pillow.

"Why'd ya move?"

Mary sat up and looked him in the face. "Mom got married to some guy from Japan."

"Oh…I didn't know ya had any family back in the real world," Ikkaku rubbed his bald head.

"Are you jealous 'daddy?'" Mary mocked.

Ikkaku snorted, mumbled something about Yumichika, and left.

***

The eleventh division was nothing like the tenth. Big hairy men lumbered around fighting, drinking, and doing other less dignified things. At lunch, Mary watched in disgust as a man picked his boggers and wiped them unceremoniously on his pant leg.

She was constantly called out on fights to the point where she carried her zanpaktou everywhere. It wasn't like she minded. Mary liked fighting. The adrenaline rush and the feel of raw power could be intoxicating. She just didn't like the idea of fighting to kill. Fighting to win, to watch your opponent fall to his knees and raise his hands in defeat, felt awesome.

But besides from the bad manners and constant fighting, Mary adjusted fairly well. That was until she had to use the bathroom. All the divisions were outfitted with a simple stall door toilets, three sinks, five showers bathroom; one for male and female. The only problem was the female bathroom was used by the men due to a lack of women. Especially since the only girl had her own private bathroom as fuku taicho.

Mary glanced in the bathroom. She was naked beside the short blue bathrobe hanging loosely on her. Her left hand clutched a lime green bag containing her toiletries and a towel. Mary walked in and glanced around. The mirror had been smashed to bits, leaving a few shards clinging desperately to the wall. The sink was covered in old toothpaste and soap residue. The floor and stalls looked as if they hadn't had a good scrubbing in ages. Most likely the fourth division member assigned to clean them had been scared away.

The blond open the shower curtain and frowned down at the hair wad sitting in the corner. She sighed and climbed in. It would just be a quick shower and then she could go drinking with Yumichika. At least that had been the plan.

Gorou walked into the bathroom and took off his signature black sunglasses. His hair was a bright yellow mohawk that he gelled so it stood straight up. He leaned into one tiny mirror shard, as he fixed his hair. Glancing to the side, he noticed a decidedly female figure's shadow in the curtain. The man smiled evilly. Oh this was perfect. All the guys had been whispering behind Mary's back what she looked like naked. Gorou quietly snuck to the edge of the curtain and peaked.

"What are you doing?" Garou gulped and looked behind him to see a furious Ikkaku. "You dirty pervert!" He grabbed the front of Garou's shirt and towered over him. "I am going to beat you within an inch of your life for peaking at my daughter!"

"What?!" The water was turned off and the curtain thrown back. Mary was glistening from head to foot and the towel barely covered her feminine figure. Male eyes dropped to her wet, half exposed breasts. Ikkaku blushed crimson and winced under Mary's glare.

"Climb Kerria!"

"RUN!"

The female bathroom was cleaned and men-free the following morning.


	6. A Lesson in Pain

Chapter 6

The first few weeks dating Orihime had been fun, Ichigo admitted. They took summer strolls across Kurakara, they got discount ice cream at the parlor Orihime worked at, and at night they snuggled down at her house to watch movies and make out. It was a typical high school romance, the kind Ichigo had wanted to have with Orihime before that fateful day when Rukia stabbed her zanpaktou into him.

But they weren't the same people they had been back then. Life had stripped them of their innocence and left them scarred in more ways than one. With each passing day Ichigo was starting to see that. Orihime was clingy now, a certain high-pitched anxiety crawling into her 'Kurosaki-kun's that left him concerned. To be honest, Ichigo was started to get annoyed. Orihime was a sweet girl and he trusted her, but if he looked deep in his heart he realized that he didn't love her.

He had loved the old her, the Orihime who joked, always had a smile on her face, was an eccentric, and determined despite fears. He had to end this before they got in too far.

So it was one night that Ichigo asked Orihime to meet him at a park close to her apartment. He took her hands and told her everything, his fears that this wasn't right, that they were different now, and that perhaps they should break it off.

She took it surprisingly well, although the tears that fell down her face told a different story.

"I'm going to go," Orihime said and walked towards her apartment not looking back. Ichigo stood staring after her, guilt gnawing at him like a parasite.

* * *

Mary beat back Haruto, a tall burly man with big buck teeth that made him lisp and spit when he spoke.

"I am gething the lath bothle of sake!" Haruto said angrily as he dove at Mary again, the other division members cheering. Mary side stepped and pushed him, using his own momentum and weight to throw him to the ground. Before he had a chance to get up she put the tip of her sword to his throat.

"Back off my sake," Mary said with a cocky smile as Haruto angrily admitted defeat. One of the division members handed her the bottle and she took a gulp, relishing how the warm liquid coated a path down her throat. She pulled the bottle from her lips letting out a gasp.

She moved back towards Ikkaku and Yumichika, leaving the ring open for the next to combatants to spar. She sipped the sake, snuggling in her sweater. Since they were off duty she had taken off the top of her uniform and replaced it with her ACDC sweater. Yumichika of course didn't approve and plucked at the 'ugly thing.'

"I don't understand why you wear something so grimy," he said, frowning.

"Because it's comfortable," Mary explained. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yes but, your so pretty and if you'd just let me…"

"No Yumichika," Mary said for what sounded like the thousandths time. He had been asking to do a makeover ever since she had first joined the eleventh division. But she didn't like make-up or longhair or accessories. They became a nuisance and took far to long to maintain for her liking. Her idea of pretty was how one carried themselves through the world, not how much they accessorized in the morning. Like what Ichigo had said about her…eyes. She sipped the sake and gazed at her toes.

"Here," she handed Ikkaku the sake bottle. "I'm going to bed." She got up and tipsily wandered off into the barracks.

This was getting out of hand, she thought as she wearily rubbed the tiredness and booze from her vision. Ichigo had become a plague on her mind ever since she had seen him and Orihime kiss. She tried not to, knowing that he was most likely happy with his beautiful girlfriend in the living world. It was just a crush. He was a nice boy, his body was fantastic, and his smile…there were really no words to describe a smile that could turn your stomach into knots and throw your whole perspective out of whack.

Mary cursed in English and through open the door of her room. She flopped onto her bed breathing in the comforting scent of her pillow. It was ridiculous to be crushing on Ichigo. She barely even knew the guy, and anyways it wouldn't work out. She was dead after all. Dead and gone and probably buried if they had managed to find her body.

Curling up into a little ball she dragged the covers over her and fell into a fitful drunken sleep.

A loud ringing woke Mary and she sat up disoriented. Heavy footsteps sounded outside her door and it suddenly dawned on her what was going on. The warning bell!

She jumped up and threw off her sweater, grabbing the top of her uniform she hastily shoved it on over her blue tank top and rushed from the room. Following the flow of men to the front gates of the eleventh division she spotted Ikkaku and made a bee line for him.

"What's going on?" Mary asked running next to him.

"Invasion outside the rukongai district," Ikkaku said. Mary was already throwing her senses out across the city, trying to detect the reiatsu of the intruders. It was faint, and felt funny, like a disease instead of a soul.

Other divisions joined their group, many flying into the air and shunpoing forward. Mary hadn't yet learned the technique of shunpo so she ran through the streets with the rest of weaker shinigamis.

"Go ahead." She waved Ikkaku, knowing he wanted to get there and start having fun. "Just save me a few." Ikkaku winked at her and took off, disappearing before she could blink. The civilians scurried out of the way as they raced towards the hills outside the city. Mary notice Hanatarou and a few other fourth division members, notifying people of what was going on and to remain indoors.

The run seemed to take forever, and by the time she got there, she was panting. The fighting sounds filled the woods. Mary quickly located Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Kenpachi fighting the weird enemy. Now that she was here, the rietsu permeated the air like a stench. What the hell was it?

Braking branches, had her spinning out and she drew her blade.

"Climb Kerria!"

The katana shifted into a sickle, its branch wrapping around up her arm. It hummed in warm pleasure between her fingertips. Kerria never talked to her much, rather sending raw emotions and urges to her. Right now she was excited and the feeling filled Mary as she waited for the enemy to approach.

The beast that emerged was like nothing she had ever seen. Its boar like body crawled forward on six legs and surveyed her with an intelligence that was unnerving. It didn't seem to have a skin. Instead the thick cords and muscles that coated the things body stood out stark and pulsing with blood. Even worse, it smelled like a corpse, the stink seeming to emanate from the six spiky barbs protruding from a long thick tail. The smell was so bad she had the urge to vomit, and she pulled her shirt up over her nose in hopes of blocking it somewhat so she could focus. This wasn't a hollow, but it certainly wasn't from the human world. Her instincts were on edge and they screamed to run.

It made the first move, lunging at her and trying to bite at her arm. Mary spun away cutting at the creature with her sickle. But it had been a feint and the thing's tail swung and walloped her, sending her careening into the ground. Her sickle came up to stop the creature from biting her throat when it lunged at her. Throwing her rietsu into the attack she pushed the creature off and sliced it in the belly.

The wound was deep and anything normal would have at the very least winced at the cut if not fallen to the ground. But the thing didn't even seem fazed. Odd smelling blood oozed from it and hissed as it hit the ground and burned the undergrowth. It must be acidic and she made a mental note to keep away from the stuff.

Mary charged reitsu forming around her in a shield as she cut across its face. The weird creature roared back, seemingly unharmed despite the fact that Mary had just taken out both its eyes. It butted her in the stomach sending her flying back and into a tree. The smell of burning reached her nostrils and she realized her shirt had been burnt right through. Hastily, she peeled it off quickly and threw off her under tank top as well since that was covered as well. There where a few spots where the acid had burnt through and found skin and they were bleeding and hurt like a bitch. Thankfully the burns were small.

She stood up in her bra, sickle in hand and honed muscles waiting for the thing to attack again. There were screams in the forest now. These things were winning and Mary felt some of the weaker, inexperienced shinigami's reitsu's fade while others popped out of existence. The screams were getting fewer and farther between as the creatures picked off the weaker ones and converging on the stronger like moths to a flame.

Her arm's grew tired as she swung her sickle again and again, her skin now riddled with blood from the splattering acid. Another of the monsters flew down from the trees and smashed into her, knocking her to the ground and soaking her bare back with its acidic blood. Mary screamed, writhing on the ground in agony as the acid seeped into her skin like fire. She was struggling to get up but the pain was too much and she swiped her sickle at the beasts surrounding her, only to cut and splatter more blood about.

There was a shout and suddenly the warm reitsu of Ikkaku wrapped around her like a blanket. The creatures dispersed as he swung his staff in a wide circle around them. A quick glance showed that Ikkaku's uniform and skin were also burnt through in areas and a few chunks of his staff seemed to be scorched.

"Yumi, get her out of here," he instructed, deadly serious. She must really look awful to have Ikkaku look like that, calm, collected, and the thrill of the fight gone from his eyes. Mary could understand though. There was no honorable battles against enemies that could not die or feel pain. There was only slaughter.

She gasped at the cool, reassuring arms of Yumichika wrapped around her and whisked her away from the scene. He was saying something to her but the pain was so bad she couldn't stay focused. Her mind slipped into unconsciousness before they reached the fourth division.

* * *

Demons. That was what they had been. It seemed Aizen had fled to the one place shinigami feared to enter: hell. He'd spoken with the dark powers and convinced them to 'broaden their territory.' After all why feed off evil souls when you could have any soul you choose.

The battle had lasted two days and the body count was still unknown although it was well over 500. The injured however were in the thousands. It had finally taken a brilliant display of fire power released by the soutaicho himself that had pushed the monsters back to their domain.

Now three weeks later, they still had no answers as to what or where Aizen might strike next. All Soul Society was left on 24 hour red alert. The districts too were patrolled and those living on the outskirts encouraged to move into the city for their own protection.

Ichigo sat on guard, perched atop one of the buildings. Since it was summer vacation, he was living in the tenth division barracks doing all he could to help. After all it had been his fault Aizen had originally escaped. He had been so focused on rescuing Orihime the bastard had slipped through his fingers.

The thought of Orihime brought another wave of guilt over him. Being in the Soul Society also gave them both some much needed distance. Ichigo remembered the punch Tatsuki had given him and touched his cheek. He'd taken it gladly, happy for the physical pain to counteract the emotional.

There was a noise of the roof behind him and felt Ikkaku's presence before he saw him.

"How is she?" Ichigo asked almost immediately. He hadn't gone to see Mary yet, told the healing process she was undergoing was so extreme she was barely awake most of the day.

"Tired and grumpy as usual." Ikkaku slumped down next to him and looked out over the buildings dotted with other shinigami on guard. "They're releasing her tomorrow. When you see her next, try not to stare. Yumi's been in a fuss over the whole thing, saying her beauty or some such was stolen from her. I'm just warning you now," he said. Ichigo nodded. He knew all about scars and how gruesome they could sometimes be. It was an occupational hazard with this kind of work.

"I just can't believe Aizen sided with demons from hell," Ichigo said. It sounded like some corny cliché plot you might read in a story where the bad guy sells his soul to the devil. "And I hate this waiting. It's like standing on the edge of a cliff waiting to get pushed off. The battles already been fought so many times I loose track of when one starts and another begins." He reached out and flicked a pebble onto the empty street below.

Ikkaku gave him a calculating look. "You're a lot different from the moron who charged in here and kicked my ass a few years ago," he said shaking his head. Standing up, he jumped down to the street below and called up. "Oi, Kenpachi wanted me to tell you about our sparring session. It's me, you, and Renji against him if you want to join." He gave a curt wave and wandered off towards the eleventh division.


	7. Still Human

So after my extended absence I have started writing again. I feel I owe it to the few people who like my stories enough to at least finish the fanfictions I've left on hiatus for months and several, years. I have finally graduated from college, so although I still will be working, I will not have homework to take up my time. So sorry for the long wait. Here is the next chapter.

* * *

Ichigo waited in the eleventh division dining hall with Yumichika and Matsumoto. Ikkaku had gone to pick up Mary and they were waiting with some rum and coke, a drink Ichigo had insisted the modern age teen would appreciate far more than sake. Matsumoto had already had two glasses and was already asking him if he would take her to a bar for more fun drinks next time she visited the real world.

He nodded to her but couldn't seem to pay attention. Every few minutes he would glance to the door and his foot tapped anxiously. Ichigo wasn't sure what to expect. From what Ikkaku had told him, the scarring was extensive and covered most of Mary's upper back and a bit of her front, neck, and the back of her head.

Finally Mary walked through the door, giving a cute wave with a huge smile on her face, Ikkaku in tow. Ichigo's eyes widened at what he saw. A large chunk of the back left side of her head was a marred mess. Her hair was gone and replaced with a rippling, twisted scar tissue that traveled to the shell of her ear and down the back of her neck to disappear into her clothes. The shirt she was wearing showed a bit of her front and he could see a patch the size of his palm turned white and twisted above her left breast. There was more he knew, much more hidden by clothes.

"Rum and Coke!" Mary squealed, running for the drinks. "You guys sure know how to welcome a girl back." Ichigo noticed on closer inspection that her face had been left blessedly alone and her multicolored eyes still shone out bright and vivid. Her hair had grown too, probably in an attempt to hide some of the scars. It actually looked good on her and Ichigo tried to imagine Mary with long flowing hair that traveled down her back. Even with the scaring, she still looked pretty, like a trampled rose that held onto its root and refused to stop growing back. He noticed Ikkaku giving him a look. Oh right…he wasn't supposed to be staring.

* * *

Whoever said time was the best healer was a moron. Time didn't heal all wounds, it just made them worse. Mary stared at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't care about her appearance in the way of make-up and jewelry and she was definitely not a fru fru i-love-pink kindda girl. But she was still human and to an extent she did care what she looked like.

She looked ugly and it hurt. She felt subconscious and brushed her lengthening hair down to hide the horrible webbing of skin on the back of her head and neck. The acid had been anti-healing at first, which meant she had almost bled to death before they had found a way to remove the acid from her system.

Mary scowled at her reflection angrily and grabbed a long turtle-neck shirt she had taken to wearing under her uniform. The material was far to hot for the summer months but it hid the scarring you could see on her neck, chest, and back. She opened the door to her bedroom and stepped out into the corridor.

"Hey." Mary spun around to find Ichigo relaxing on the door jam outside her door. That funny feeling in her gut suddenly clenched again. Why was he waiting for her?

"You could have knocked," Mary said, although she doubted she would have let him in to see her in nothing but a loose tank top, her scars out for the world to see.

"I didn't want to bother you." He said it in such a non-chalant way, Mary almost believed him….almost. "What is it you want?" she finally said getting right down to the point of things. She wasn't in the mood to chit chat idly. She had a few hours at best to eat and relax before she had physical therapy and training to rework her tight and unused muscles.

"Can't I just stop and say hi?" Ichigo said, annoyance creeping into his tone.

"No you can't," Mary snapped back and started walking away from him down the corridor. Ichigo followed after her and grabbed her arm. She stopped and twisted around to look at him.

"What's your problem, Mary?" he was frustrated and his eyes looked at her hard and angry.

"_My problem is you're with someone else and I really like you but it could never work out and even if I got over you and found someone else no one would ever look at me twice because I'm ugly_," Mary thought. She wriggled out of his grasp and took a step back, looking down. "It's nothing you can fix Ichigo," she said out loud.

"Is it about your scars?" Ichigo finally said and she looked up at him. She shouldn't be surprised he figured it out. It was kind of obvious.

"Yeah something like that," she said her hand subconsciously going back to cover the mess of scar tissue not covered by clothing. Ichigo reached up and snatched the hand before it could cover her head.

"Don't be," he said softly in a tone one would use on a frightened, injured animal. "Mary do you remember when I told you you shouldn't get contacts to change your eye color?" She nodded. "Well this is just like that. The scars may not look pretty and make you stand out, but Mary you already stood out before... no wait…that's not right..um…"

She raised an eyebrow at him as he struggled for words.

"What I mean to say is your scars are part of you and even with them you still look….well…pretty," Ichigo finished as his cheeks reddened. Her heart hammered and her brain skittered to a halt. He wasn't serious. He was just doing this to make her feel better. But she knew that was a lie. His eyes were too honest and Ichigo wouldn't lie like that. He was smiling at her and it made her heart flutter.

It was a moment before she realized they were still holding hands and she reluctantly pulled hers away. "Thank you Ichigo," Mary said and took a step back. "It's good to hear someone say that." She turned away, intent on getting away before she did something stupid, like cry. She walked quickly away, Ichigo looking after her.

After Mary had vanished, Ikkaku stepped out from behind a pillar. Ichigo turned over and looked at him paling that Ikkaku was going to deck him for touching Mary. But the shinigami was smirking at him and not in the malevolent way.

"What?" Ichigo said. Ikkaku smiled a bit wider.

"Do you like her?" he asked. Ichigo blanched a moment, eyes wide. But it was true if he thought about it. He liked Mary, but they were both still scarred. Ichigo was still getting over Orihime and Mary needed to restore her cocky confidence.

He felt a well calloused hand descend on his shoulder. "Don't hurt her…She's been hurt enough," Ikkaku said and squeezed.


	8. Honing Our Hands

Mary trained brutally hard, harder then she really should but she didn't care. She wanted to fight again, wanted to breathe again. It'd been a week and her muscles were toning up nicely again and building to make up from the parts burnt off on her back. It also helped to lessen the aching pain she normally felt in her shoulder blades, a pain the fourth division had said would probably never go away.

She was taking a break under a tree, turtle neck off because, scars or not, it was way to friggin hot to spar in this balmy weather. Besides her comrades in the eleventh division liked the scars and said it made her look tough and badass. Mary smiled at the compliment, although she still felt self-conscious. She knew if she left the barracks in only her sports bra and hakama everyone would stare and whisper. She rolled her shoulders and sipped her water, thinking herself alone in the field within the eleventh division walls.

She jumped when she heard Ichigo behind her say, "Wanna spar with me next." She sucked down the water she'd been sipping the wrong way and coughed.

"Sorry didn't mean to scare you," he said with a warm smile. She saw his gaze fall on her back. How could it not? There she was sitting under a tree with a water bottle clutched in her hand and her back was bare save for the sliver of black bra.

She waited like a deer in the headlights for his smile to turn to disgust or worse pity. But neither happened, instead he looked…angry. But that look disappeared swiftly and he asked his earlier question again. "So did you wanna spar with me next?"

"Sure," Mary said before her brain really had time to process what had happened. She had never fought with Ichigo before and she could feel Kerria was happy about it. Apparently her zanpaktou saw Ichigo as a good challenge. "You want zanpaktous in their released form or as katanas?"

"I can't make my zanpaktou into a katana," Ichigo said. He gave Mary a challenging look as she gapped at him.

"You're kidding. You mastered bankai in days….DAYS! and you can't turn your zanpaktou into a katana," Mary said turning away and rolling her eyes. Can you believe this guy? Ichigo was glaring at her. "Well anyway I guess that means released forms it is. Climb Kerria." Her zanpaktou turned into a sickle and the branch wrapped around her arm. Ichigo blinked in surprise. He hadn't seen her released form and had figured Mary didn't have a zanpaktou yet.

He studied the blade a moment and grabbed the one on his back. The bandages fell away and revealed Zangetsu. Mary sized up the blade, noting its length would give Ichigo a long reach during battle. Kerria was practically bouncing around in her hand eager to start.

They both took defensive posses and were off. Mary was wary of Ichigo's blade. He swung it around like an axe and her quick reflexes spent a good portion of the time dodging in and out of its reach. She caught a swing in the curve of Kerria's sickle and she could feel Zangetsu's power hum though her blade. All the raw energy was unnerving and with a flip of her wrist she had pushed the blade back and was in Ichigo's face.

In the close proximity, Ichigo was suddenly very aware that he was fighting Mary while she was in a bra with her cleavage hanging out and her abs glistening with sweat. His guard went down and she hit him in the gut with the back of her hilt. He grunted as she danced away from him.

"Focus Ichigo," Mary said. She was a bit angry now. She new that punch had been easy because he was staring at her scars. She should have put her shirt back on and screwed how hot the turtle neck was to fight in.

Ichigo growled and charged her, shunpoing. The fast movement caught her off guard and she just managed to stop the swing from hitting her. The branch around her arm tightened and she could feel her rietsu grow until golden color flooded her blade. She pushed him back as Ichigo's own rietsu, a strange black and red, flickered up his own blade.

This was no longer a fight of sword but of will power. Ichigo's power was enormous compared to her own, but she was holding her ground.

_"You are stronger then you think,"_ Kerria whispered in her ear as her power started flickering up to twine into Ichigo's blade like a twisting vine. Finally, after what felt like hours but was really minutes, Ichigo pulled back. She swung at him again and he parried. He thrust at her again and she moved out of the way to slice at him. She caught his shirt, ripping it but not injuring the skin beneath.

"Whoops," she said in fake innocence and moved back out of his reach. Ichigo cursed and tore off his ruined shirt. Mary hadn't been prepared for that. There were a lot of good looking muscular men in Soul Society, but Ichigo looked too good. It was like his abs and pecks were perfectly sculpted by a master artist. Her mouth went dry and Kerria yelled at her to pay attention.

They clashed again, parries and slashes so fast it caused sparks to fly off their blades. Ichigo finally swung and Mary side stepped it. He didn't give her a chance to balance herself and he turned the blade in his hand and pushed on hers, causing her to stumble and lose her footing.

Before she had a chance to fall though, Ichigo reached out a hand and caught her. He easily hauled her back up into a standing position and they were both breathing hard and far too close and shirtless. Mary gulped in air as she started feeling hot from something other then just the summer heat.

They both jumped when they heard some cat calls and a few hoots. A sizable crowd had gathered as they had fought and several of the eleventh guard members were making lewd gestures and remarks.

Mary smiled good naturedly yet embarrassed at the crowd and went to grab her shirt and water bottle. Ichigo followed and they retreated away from the throng that was starting to disperse since the spar was over.

Mary led them down into the barracks to her room. She threw open the door to show the bed was unmade, and clothes were strewn everywhere. The only thing not on the floor was the lacy underwear from Ichigo's first visit. It had to be hidden after several panty raids.

"Sorry…about all that," Mary said a little awkwardly as she sat down on the unmade sleeping mat and Ichigo sank to the floor. He shook his head at her. "It wasn't like it was your fault."

They both smiled at each other after which an awkward silence followed. "You fight really well," Ichigo finally said to her. "Your zanpaktou…Kerria you called it..."

"Her," Mary said. "From what I've gathered Kerria is a female, although I don't know what she looks like."

"Really?" Ichigo said, surprised that Mary hadn't been in the world inside her head.

"Well she doesn't talk much to me. I think it's because she's a plant." The blade beside her hummed a warm emotion of content. Kerria was pleased with the battle despite the fact it had lost and a tendril of its power still reached out toward Zangetsu.

Ichigo was getting a similar vibe from Zangetsu although he wasn't about to share it. It was like the swords were friends, their shinigami's having communed in battle creating a bond between the blades.

Mary rolled her shoulders. The spar may have been fun but now that it was over she could feel the ache in her back start again. She reached over for the bottle of special balm Hanatarou had given her to relax and ease the muscles.

"What's that?" Ichigo asked.

"Just a lotion for my back," Mary said and started smearing a bit on her shoulders and up into her hair.

"Here let me," Ichigo said and reached out to snag the bottle.

"It's okay. I got it," Mary said. She gave him a daring look and tried to take it back.

"I want to help," Ichigo said and moved the bottle out of reach so Mary had to basically climb onto him to try and get it back.

"No it's mine. You don't know how to do it," she said a competitive smile coming to her lips.

"It makes more sense if I do it," Ichigo said and pushed her away gently. "You can't reach your back well by yourself. And my dad's a doctor so chill. I think I can handle some balm."

Mary muttered about stubborn men but was smiling none the less when she turned around so her back was to Ichigo. "Alright then Dr. Kurosaki, put it on."

She normally had Yumichika do this for her since his hands were soft and gentle. She expected Ichigo's hands to be the opposite, hard and rough, but he surprised her. The hands felt huge on her shoulder blades as he messaged in the balm and worked her muscles at the same time to loosen and relax them. It was all tender and soothing, and she shivered at the butterflies it was giving her.

"You cold?" Ichigo asked taking the shiver to mean something else.

"I'm fine," Mary said in a far too girlish way. She mentally slapped herself. Snap out of it. Okay he was shirtless and very soothingly rubbing away her pain in her room alone, that did not mean she could make this more intimate. He still had that girl; the pretty one with the perfect boobs and pretty long hair and scar-less body.

"Are you sure?" Ichigo said and stopped rubbing altogether. She shivered again. Why did he have to say it like that, all husky and rough like they'd been doing something far different then sparing.

"I think it's good. You can stop now," she said desperate for him to stop touching her. But he didn't. His hands traveled to her lower back and then around her front. She was pulled back and felt a hot, hard chest hit her back. She gulped.

"Ichigo?" She relaxed a bit into the hug and Ichigo buried his face in her shoulder.

"I should have protected you," he finally said, she could hear the anger there and sadness and self guilt all woven together to wrench at her heart.

"It's not your fault." Mary tried to turn her head to look at him. "You weren't even in Soul Society at the time."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I should have stopped Aizen the first time. If I had this wouldn't have happened."

Mary sighed. So that was it, and here she'd been acting like a love struck puppy. It was just Ichigo felt responsible for her injuries, nothing more. "Don't blame yourself. You did all you could and more from what I've been told. My injuries have nothing to do with that…okay?"

He didn't say anything at first just hugged her tighter. She felt a pair of lips kiss her shoulder. It was barely a peck, but it sent her heart hammering and all her senses on alert. "When I said you were pretty I meant it Mary," he said into her shoulder. She shuddered.

"Ichi..?"

"And no matter how many times your body is scarred that's not going to change," he said and finally let her go. She turned just enough to look him in the eyes.

"Why are you telling me this?" she said confused. "What about that other girl…the one from the real world. You shouldn't be telling me this kind of stuff Ichigo."

"You mean Orihime." Ichigo blinked in surprise at the mention of his past girlfriend. "I broke up with her weeks ago."

"Oh…" Mary said a bit dumbfounded for a minute until her mind caught up with the fact that Ichigo wasn't cheating, was hugging her against his very hot body, and was basically confessing that he liked her while she sat there like a moron.

"Well…uh…," Mary said and smiled shyly. Ichigo smiled back, but it was not an all together innocent smile. He leaned in and kissed her chastely cutting off whatever response she was going to give. She let out a little gasp and then sighed and leaned into it as their arms wrapped around each other.


End file.
